About the Federal Policy Fellowship Program

The SRCD Federal Policy Fellowship Program is a full-time immersion experience and runs from September 1st through August 31st. SRCD Federal Policy Fellows are members of the Science and Technology Fellowship Program of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), which includes fellows from a variety of scientific disciplines. Fellows participate in a two-week science policy orientation sponsored by AAAS, as well as two further days of training sponsored by SRCD focusing on child and family policy. In mid-September, they begin work as resident scholars within their federal agency or congressional office placements. The SRCD Executive Branch Policy Fellowship may be renewed for a second year at the agency's discretion and, under rare circumstances, the SRCD Congressional Policy Fellowship may be extended four months to the end of the legislative session.

Staff members on the SRCD policy team work to facilitate the fellows' experience and are available as a resource throughout the year. SRCD hosts monthly seminars for its fellows, with topics focusing on child development and public policy, as well as career development. In addition, AAAS provides extensive career development programming (e.g., writing a resume, communicating science) and social events.

Career Paths Following the SRCD Federal Policy Fellowship

SRCD Federal Policy Fellows take different career paths following their fellowship experience. Approximately a third of fellows begin or return to careers in academia following the fellowship, with strengthened credentials in policy-relevant research and an ability to teach students about the complex issues involved in bridging science and policy. Some fellows remain in Washington D.C. and continue to work in public policy and/or research settings. For example, fellows have gone on to work at federal agencies such as the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE), the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Other fellows pursue careers with research organizations or work at organizations that bridge research and policy.